Pathology/Lab Coding Alert

Distinguish penis, other male genital organs for overlapping sites.

You won’t find a direct crosswalk for 187.8 (Malignant neoplasm of other specified sites of male genital organs) when ICD-10 goes into effect on Oct. 15, 2015. 

Read on to learn how you can take full advantage of more-specific code options when you make the transition from ICD-9 next year.

‘Other Specified’ Definition Parts Ways

The primary ICD-10 equivalent for 187.8 is C63.7 (Malignant neoplasm of other specified male genital organs). Although ICD-9 and ICD-10 both agree that 187.8 and C63.7 describe malignant neoplasm of seminal vesicle or tunica vaginalis, that’s where the similarity ends. 

Here’s why: ICD-9 includes “contiguous or overlapping sites” in the 187.8 descriptor, and includes penis within that category. A note for 187.8 states that the code includes “Malignant neoplasm of contiguous or overlapping sites of penis and other male genital organs whose point of origin cannot be determined.”

Contrast: ICD-10 does not even include “contiguous or overlapping sites” in the primary crosswalk code C63.7. Instead, if the pathologist diagnoses malignant neoplasm of contiguous or overlapping sites of male genitalia, you must choose one of the following codes when ICD-10 goes into effect:

• C60.8 — Malignant neoplasm of overlapping sites of penis
• C63.8 — Malignant neoplasm of overlapping sites of male genital organs (Primary malignant neoplasm of two or more contiguous sites of male genital organs whose point of origin cannot be determined).